TRAFFIC was brought to a standstill for several hours as a major smash between a bus and a lorry caused havoc on the A406 on Wednesday, January 21.

Police closed off the road just before the Billet roundabout, Walthamstow, shortly after the 5am collision.

Hundreds of rush-hour workers were forced to sit in their cars until it reopened again around 10am.

The driver of the bus, thought to be heading from Edmonton to Walthamstow, had to be cut from the wreckage and taken to hospital. His injuries were not thought to be life threatening.

One onlooker described the bus as looking like it had been opened up with a can opener.

A 19-year-old driver from Chingford said there was debris from the single-decker all over the road and traffic was not moving either side of the A406.

The admin worker, who did not want to be named, said: "There were police all over the road clearing bits of the bus off. It was all smashed up. I've never seen a bus like that before.

"They had cut all the side of it open and the back windows were all smashed.

"Traffic was all the way up both sides of the A406, right back to the M11.

"I managed to bypass the traffic at Sainsbury's at the Billet but still got to work 20 minutes late."

Police said no one else was injured. Anyone with information on the accident should call Walthamstow police on 8529 8666.

A police spokesman said: "We don't have many details at this stage but there was a collision between a lorry and a bus just before the Crooked Billet roundabout.

"It has caused a lot of congestion and the road has been closed for several hours.